Packaging machine



PACKAGING MACHINE l8 Sheets-Sheet 2 A. K. EDELBERG ET AL Oct. 15, 1968Filed May 19, 1964 Get. 15, 1968 A. K. EDELBERG ET AL PACKAGING MACHINEFiled May 19, 1964 18 Sheets-Sheet 5 5, 1968 A. K. EDELBERG ET AL3,405,501

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed May 19, 1964 l8 Sheets-Sheet 4 (if? JJZ Oct. 15,1968 A. K. EDELBERG ET AL 3,405,501

PACKAGING MACHINE l8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 19, 1964 A. K. EDELBERG ETAL 3,405,501

PACKAGING MACHINE l8 Sheets-Sheet Oct. 15, 1968 Filed May 19, 1964 A. K.EDELBERG ETAL 3,405,501

Oct. 15, 1968 PACKAGING MACHINE l8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed May 19, 1964 MAN A. K. EDELBERG ET AL 3,405,501

Get. 15, 1968 PACKAGING MACHINE l8 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed May 19, 1964Oct. 15, 1968 A. K. EDELBERG ET AL 3,405,501

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed May 19, 1964 18 Sheets-Sheet 10 535B 591 o Q 5951 J' 'a 4737 i910 J89 J69 J27 E l Oct. 15, 1968 A. K. EDELBERG ET AL3,405,501

' PACKAGING MACHINE I Filed May 19, 1964 18 Sheets-Sheet 11 4 445 44043; 7 t 6g i; i 444 Oct. 15, 1968 A. K. EDELBERG ET AL 3,405,501

PACKAG ING MACHINE Filed May 19, 1964 18 Sheets-Sheet 12 Oct. 15, 1968EDELBERG ET AL 3,405,501

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed May 19, 1964 18 Sheets-$he6t 15 ,1968 A. K.EDELBERG ET AL. 3,405,501

PACKAGING MACHINE l8 Sheets-Sheet 14 Filed May 19, 1964 :96 7177 J90 byOct. 15, 1968 A. K. EDELBERG ET AL. 3,405,501

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed May 19, 1964 18 Sheets-Sheet l5 Oct. 15, 1968 1ET AL 3,405,501

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed May 19, 1964 l8 Sheets-Sheet 16 Oct. 15, 1968 A.K. EDELBERG ET Al. 3,405,501

PACKAGING MACHINE Filed May 19, 1964 18 Sheets-$heet l 7 a J: l

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H I I. o m I w PACKAGING MACHINE Oct. 15, 1968 LSO PB I l l sun l iledMay 19,

sg :PBRi ga t PBRZ United States Patent Ofice 3,405,501 Patented Oct.15, 1968 3,405,501 PACKAGING MACHINE Alan K. Edelberg, Chelmsford,Robert B. Dunlap, Med- Way, and Allen C. Harriman, Brockton, Mass.,assignors to International Shoe Machine Corporation, Boston,

Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed May 19, 1964, Ser. No.368,618 22 Claims. (Cl. 5351) This invention relates to packagingmachines and, in particular, to machines operative to form packages fromcontinuous strip material by partially folding the strip lengthwise toreceive articles to be packaged, finish folding the partially foldedstrip after the articles to be packaged are placed thereon, sealing thefolded strip along the edges parallel to the fold and crosswise of thefold at intervals corresponding to the length of the packages to beformed, and severing the sealed strip medially of the sealed areas.

The important objects of the invention are to provide in a machine ofthe foregoing kind an improved control means which enables quickly andeasily changing the length of the packages to be formed for packagingarticles of different length and to provide control means which ismanually operative to change the length of the packages to be formed.Another object is to provide individual control of the instrumentalitiesat the several packageforming stations thereby minimizing the complexityof the machine and malfunctioning due to accumulative errors. Anotherobject is to provide control of the instrumentalities at the severalstations by indicia applied to the strip and to provide improved meansfor applying indicia to the strip at intervals corresponding to thelengths of the packages to be formed. Other objects are to provideimproved means for sealing the strip with or without the aid ofadhesive, to provide improved means for applying adhesive when used, toprovide improved means for folding the strip to minimize the formationof wrinkles, to provide improved means for rendering the sealing meansinoperative when an obstruction enters between the sealing means toprevent damage thereto, and to provide improved severing means.

As herein illustrated, the machine is provided with feeding means forpulling the strip material through the machine for operation of thepackage-forming instrumentalities thereon, and control means movable inproportion to the linear movement of the strip operative, in response toa predetermined movement of the strip, to effect operation of means ofapplying indicia to the strip. The control means is in the form of acounter which may be preset visually to indicate the length of thepackage to be made. In the form of the invention illustrated, adhesiveis applied to the strip at intervals corresponding to the distancebetween indicia and the adhesive-applying means comprises spacedparallel applicator rolls for engagement with the opposite edges of thestrip, a transverse applicator roll for applying adhesive to the entirewidth of the strip, and a strip support controlled by the indicia on thestrip to hold the opposite edges of the strip continuously in contactwith the spaced applicator rolls and at intervals corresponding to thedistance between the indicia to press the strip into engagement with thetransverse applicator roll. Operation of the strip support is effectedby sensing devices which sense the indicia. The sensing devices areadjustable transversely of the strip so as to have operative engagementwith the edges of the strip according to the width of the strip. Thespaced applicator rolls are also adjustable width-wise of the strip soas to correspond in spacing to the width of the strip and to permitpositioning them in spaced parallel relation to the edges of the stripto leave the margins outwardly thereof uncoated. The adhesive-coatedstrip is partially folded by drawing it over a guide roll into aV-shaped trough by feed rolls located at the opposite end of the troughfrom the guide roll. The V-shaped trough inclines downwardly from the.guide roll toward the feed rolls and both the guide roll and the feedrolls are adjustable heightwise of the bottom of the trough. The feedrolls bring the edges of the partially folded strip together as itleaves the trough and beyond the feed rolls there are sealing membersmovable into engagement when the folded strip to press theadhesive-coated portions between them. The sealing members arereciprocable along the path of movement of the strip and there is adetector located adjacent the feed rolls operative to initiate movementof the sealing members. There are feeler elements on the sealing membersoperative by engagement to effect application of sealing pressure toclose the sealing members and by failure of engagement due to anobstruction situated therebetween to preclude application of the sealingpressure thereby to permit the obstruction to pass through withoutdamage to the sealing members. There is cutting means carried by thesealing members op rative, when they come together, to cut off thesealed package and means operative in the absence of such engagement ofthe sealing members to deactivate the cutting means. 2'

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference tothe accompanying drawings wherein:

. FIG. 1 is a plan view of the machine;

FIG. 2 is an elevation of the machine as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, of the housing at the leftend of the machine as shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section taken transversely of the machine on theline 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 4a is a fragmentary section of one side of the V-shaped troughshown in FIG. 4 to larger scale, showing an edge gauge and mountingtherefor;

FIG. 5 is an end elevation, broken away in part, as seen from the leftend of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5a is a fragmentary section showing the details of the knob at theright side of FIG. 5;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section, to larger scale, showing theprinting mechanism and the notching means;

FIG. 7 is an elevation taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 6 of the printingmechanism;

FIG. 8 is a detail of an adjustment for the ink-carrying roll of theprinting mechanism;

FIG. 9 is an elevation taken on the line 9-9 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is a horizontal section through the housing at the left endshowing the notching mechanism and portions of the drive;

FIG. 11 is an elevation taken on the line 11-11 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a horizontal section showing the support for holding thestrip for application of adhesive thereto;

FIG. 13 is an elevation taken on the line 1313 of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is an elevation taken on the line 14-14 of FIG. 12 to muchlarger scale, showing the sensing means; FIG. 15 is a plan view of FIG.14;

FIG. 16 is a horizontal section showing the applicato rolls;

FIG. 17 is a section taken on the line 17-17 of FIG. 16;

FIG. 17a is a diagrammatic view of three positions of the strip supportrelative to the adhesive applicator rolls;

FIG. 17b is a diagrammatic of the driving connections for the severaloperative mechanisms in the housing at the left end;

FIG. 170 is a diagrammatic of the means for adjusting the operatingmechanisms for different widths of paper;

FIG. 18 is a plan view, to very much larger scale, at one side of theadhesive-applying means showing the adhesive-applying rolls;

FIG. 19 is an elevation of FIG. 18;

FIG. 19a is a section taken on the line 19a19a of FIG. 19;

FIG. 1% is a section taken on the line 19b-19b of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 is a plan view of a fragmentary portion of the V-shaped troughadjacent the feed rolls showing the heating elements in the walls of thetrough and guides between the ends of the trough and the feed rolls;

FIG. 21 is a transverse section on the line 2121 of FIGJZO;

FIG. 22 is a transverse section taken on the line 2222 of FIG. 20;

FIG. 23 is a transverse section in the housing at the right end of themachine showing the feed rolls, supports and driving mechanism therefor,taken on the line 2323 of FIG. 23b;

FIG. 23a is a diagram of a pneumatic sensing device;

FIG. 23b is a side elevation of the housing at the right end of themachine, taken on the line 23b-23b of FIG. 1, showing the feed rolls andsealing means and broken away in part to show the supporting andoperating mechanism therefor;

FIG. 23c is a plan view of a length of paper with notches along itsedges and adhesive applied lengthwise of each edge and at spacedintervals transversely corresponding to the length of the packages to bemade;

FIG. 24 is a section taken on the line 2424 of FIG. 23b, showing thesealing members and the drive therefor;

FIG. 25 is an enlarged elevation of the sealing means, partly insection, to show the cutter;

FIG. 25a is a transverse section of the cutting means, to larger scale;

FIG. 26 is an elevation, partly in section, taken on the line 26-26 ofFIG. 24;

FIG. 26a is a detail of the knife-actuating cam taken on the line26a-26a of FIG. 25;

FIG. 26b is a plan view of the mechanism for moving the knife-operatingcam into and out of operative position;

FIG. 26c is a fragmentary plan view of the top of the housing showingone of the cams for holding the sealing member separated;

FIG. 27 is a plan view of the upper ends of the sealing members;

FIG. 28 is a plan view of the sealing members, partly in section,showing the cutting means;

FIG. 29 is a vertical section taken on the line 29-29 of FIG. 23b,showing part of the driving mechanism;

FIG. 29a is a plan view of the plate supporting the pneumatic sensingmeans at the upper ends of the feed rolls and showing the guidesextending from the feed rolls toward the sealing members;

FIG. 30 is a digram of a high voltage circuit forming a part of themachine control;

FIG. 31 is a diagram of a low voltage circuit forming a part of themachine control;

FIG. 32 is a diagram of an electro-pneumatic control for operating thetransverse applicator roll;

FIG. 23 is a diagram of an electro-pneumatic control for operating thesealing members;

FIG. 34 is a plan view of the strip as it passes through the V-shapedtrough;

FIG. 35 is a plan view of the strip as it passes through the feed rolls;

FIG. 35a is a view taken on the line 35a35a of FIG. 35; and

FIG. 36 is a view of the strip as it is engaged by the sealing members.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, which illustrate the overall configurationof the packaging machine in plan and elevation, the frame supporting theoperative mechanism is generally elongate comprising two housings 10 and12 of rectangular crosssection, rigidly joined in spaced relation toeach other by a bridge 14.

Commencing at the left end of the machine (FIG. 3), a strip of paper, orthe like, S of suitable width, supplied in the form of a roll 16,mounted in the housing 10 is drawn from the roll through a printingstation 18, an indicia-applying station 20 and an adhesive-applyingstation 22, all located in the housing 10, to a station 24 for partialfolding of the strip along a longitudinal median and disposition ofarticles to be packaged therein, and from thence to a station 26 forfinal folding and a station 28 for sealing and cutting into individualpackages, the latter being located in the housing 12. The housing 12also includes the drive for the entire machine and supports a controlpanel 30 by means of which the package size can selectively be set up.

The support for the strip, as previously mentioned, is located in thehousing 10, the latter being provided for this purpose with asubstantially rectangular opening 32 in its outer end wall (FIG. 5) ofsuitable width and height to receive the roll 16 of paper which is to beused. To facilitate mounting the roll in position, the support for thepaper roll is in the form of a frame 34 comprised of spaced parallelarms 36 pivotally mounted at one end on a horizontal shaft 38, the endsof the shaft 38 being pivotally mounted in bearing members 40 secured tothe base of the housing at opposite sides of the opening 32. Pairs ofroller bearing supports 42 are mounted on the arms 36 at their innersides in spaced parallel relation for supporting the lower side of thebeam b on which the paper is wound to permit free rotation of the beamduring unwinding of the paper. A pair of lifting studs 44 (FIG. 3) aresecured to the inner sides of the arms above the bearing supports andcooperate with the bearing supports when the frame is swung outwardlyfrom the housing to a prone position for receiving a roll of paper tohold the latter in position until the frame is lifted to its uprightposition. Adjustable stops 46 are secured within the opening forwardlyof the frame 34 operative, by engagement with the forward sides of thearms 36, to limit its position, and the arms are provided withrearwardly bent handles 48 to enable manipulation of the frame for thepurpose of lifting and lowering to replenish the machine with paper.

Within the opening 32 adjacent each side shield plates 50a and 50b aremounted adjacent the ends of the roll of paper.

The plates contain recesses 52 so that they partially encompass theforward side of the *beam b. As illustrated, the right-hand shield plate50a (FIGS. 3 and 5) is secured to the inner end of a hollow shaft 53,the latter being mounted in a bearing 54 secured to the housing foraxial movement in the bearing and being threaded internally onto a screw56. The outer end of the screw has mountedon it a knob by means of whichthe screw may be rotated to move the plate 50a transversely to adjustthe spacing between the plates according to the width of the paper. Aguide bar 57, secured at one end to the plate 50a and extendingoutwardly therefrom through a hole in a fixed part 59 of the housing 10,prevents rotation of the plate when the screw 56 is rotated to effect anadjustment. A sprocket 58 is mounted on the screw 56 for rotationthereon and, as will be described hereinafter, provides means foradjusting plate 50a in consonance with all of the instrumentalitieswhich operate on the paper and which have to be repositioned inaccordance with changes in the width of the paper. To enable adjustmentof the plate 50a independently of the other instrumentalities tocompensate for irregularities in the coil of paper, the knob 60 issplined to the screw 56 and has at one end dogs 61 interengageable withnotches 63 in the hub of the sprocket 58. A spring 62 normally holds theknob engaged with the sprocket. However, if it is desirable to rotatethe screw 56 without rotating the sprocket, the knob 60 may be pulledout to disengage the dogs from the notches. Rotation of the knob when

22. A MECHANISM FOR FORMING INDICIA ON A STRIP COMPRISING: FEEDING MEANSFOR FEEDING THE STRIP THROUGH A PRESCRIBED PATH; AN INDICIA FORMING TOOLPOSITIONED ALONGSIDE SAID PATH; DRIVE MEANS ACTUABLE TO CAUSE THE TOOLTO FORM INDICIA ON THE STRIP; AN ADJUSTABLE COUNTER, THAT COMPRISES ACOIL THAT ACTIVATES THE COUNTER IN RESPONSE TO A PREDETERMINED NUMBER OFENERGIZATIONS, OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE INDICIA FORMING MEANS TOACTUATE THE DRIVE MEANS IN RESPONSE TO ACTIVATION OF THE COUNTER; A HUBOPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE STRIP FEEDING MEANS SO AS TO ROTATE INUNISON WITH THE OPERATION OF THE STRIP FEEDING MEANS; A